The transfer of fluids to and from floating vessels has become more important in recent years, particularly with respect to the increased use of large tankers and super tankers. The use of the single anchor leg mooring system allows the provision for hawser connections to the buoy to control the vessel movement and in improved structures provides an underwater pipe connection for the vessel so that such connection and the hose swivel are not subjected to the wave action. The connection of floating hoses to such underwater mooring system pipes has required heavy equipment at the point of mooring to overcome the wave action and to bring the hose into sufficiently close proximity that a diver can manually make the connection.
It has been known in the past to provide a pivotally mounted cross-head which is adapted to place a clamping mechanism in proper position about the flanges of the conduit for coupling to a floating conduit as shown in the C. Van der Gaag U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,609. Also, the D. A. Shipper U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,061 discloses guides for the lowering of a hose connection downwardly in the water to connect with an underwater pipe. This structure provides suitable guides and brackets to bring the hose and pipe into alignment for the connection to be made.
The B. J. Watkins et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,270 discloses a method of remotely connecting flow lines to an underwater well head in which flexible lines are connected over a guide to pull the conduit into tight engagement with its connection and having suitable guiding structures to properly space the conduit for direct connection.